MENDOCINO CO., 9/16/26 – A Cal Fire investigation determined lightning ignited the Lucas Fire that sparked near the Mendocino-Lake county line last week.
The fire was first detected northwest of Upper Lake in Lake County last Thursday at 9:18 a.m. by the Laughlin Ridge 2 artificial intelligence-assisted camera through ALERTCalifornia, a program based at UC San Diego that monitors cameras and sensors around the state and alerts authorities about potential fire activity.Â
A communications operator confirmed the fire, and investigators later determined a cloud-to-ground lightning strike hit the area that morning, verified through both Cal Fire and the Northern California Geographic Area Coordination Center, an interagency hub providing resource distribution and dispatch for fires and emergencies.
The fire has burned 4,128 acres as of Wednesday. It is 46% contained.
A damage inspection completed on Tuesday found the fire destroyed three structures, two of which were utility structures under 120 square feet. Cal Fire Operations Section Chief Ryan Isham said during a briefing Sunday night that the third structure was the Hunter Point radio repeater system, which provides communication to law enforcement and fire services. Temporary devices are being set up, The Mendocino Voice reported.
Evacuation orders are still in place for Lake County zones MNF-E018 and UPP-E023-B. Warnings remain for MNF-E016, MNF-E019, UPP-E023-A, UPP-E025, UPP-E027 and UPP-E030 in Lake County, and MEN-2POT08-B in Mendocino County.
To find out what zone you live in, visit mendoready.org or protect.genasys.com.
